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We love to grow, cook and eat plant foods that will nourish both body and soul. Come inside our kitchen and pick up some vegan recipes, nutrition facts, health tips and information on how to live a more cruelty-free lifestyle, spiced with a sprinkling of Vedic wisdom from ancient India.

Rose Petal Syrup and Rose and Sesame Spread- vegan

Because I used brown sugar the syrup is brownish in colour; using white sugar would mean it comes out the colour of the roses you use- in this case, that would've meant bright pink.

I wanted to make rose petal jam, but rather than following my instinct, I used instructions from a website which just didn't work at all and I was left with jam which wouldn't set. But never mind- I sloshed in a little rose water to make the flavour even more intense and bottled the stuff up to use as syrup. It's great to drizzle over cake or icecream! I also discovered that 2 parts rose syrup to 3 parts tahini makes a delectable spread.
It was a revelation to me to learn that all roses are edible; but the old-fashioned floribunda or double roses with the strongest scent are the best to cook with. Luckily we have 2 wonderfully fragrant bright pink climbing roses in the garden and these were just perfect; I was amazed at how much flavour they gave even before I added the rosewater! So far I have used these roses, plus courgette flowers in a salad and pansies to garnish a cake, and I think I'll be cooking with flowers a lot more this Summer. What's your favourite edible flower? We'd love to know what it is and what you use it for.